Wednesday, 1 March 2017

Rappa Castle

Crossmolina, Co. Mayo

&

The Mias Tighearnain

The Mias Tighearnáin

Many times when in Dublin, I visit the National Museum of
Ireland and head straight to the first floor. There I find an ancient artifact
known as the Mias Tighearnáin or St. Tiernan's Dish, which is now displayed
in a glass case but would have originated in Crossmolina, Co. Mayo. I
always stand back and study it for a few minutes, looking for further clues to
an ancestor of mine that once owned it, maybe seeing something that I missed
previously. The ancestor in question was my great, great grandfather, Annesley
Arthur Knox who died in 1897 and who lived in RappaCastle near
Crossmolina in Co. Mayo. A mysterious man, a contradiction, an enigma who took
many secrets to the grave with him. Despite having died over 120 years ago, his
influence on our family has trickled down through the generations to me today.
This artifact in the glass case, known as the Mias Thighernáin, is one of the
few things that I know that he held in his hands and would have been housed
in the now bare walls of the ruins of RappaCastle.
Another interesting aspect to this story is that Oscar Wilde’s father would
have visited Rappa Castle in the mid 1800’s to study this artifact which
is meant to have the power to turn one's face to the back of their head if
a lie was told when swearing upon it.

Rappa Castle as it was in the 19th Century, the home of the Knox Family found near Crossmolina, Co. Mayo. Copyright: ICHC

The Mias Tighearnáin, an alms dish, was said to have
been dug out of the grave of St. Tiernan near Errew Abbey beside LoughConn in
Crossmolina, Co. Mayo. There are a number of stories of how it was found
including local folklore which says that it was found in LoughConn when
it floated to the surface having lay at the bottom of the lake for centuries.
Researchers have differed over the age of the object, as it could possibly date
from anywhere between the 6th and 14th centuries, also it appears to
have been repaired, embellished and damaged many times over the years. It was
preserved for a number of years in the family of O'Flynn who were said to have
been the hereditary wardens of Errew. They were induced in the 18th century
during a hard summer, when provisions were expensive, to sell it to Francis
Knox of RappaCastle located near Crossmolina. In
later years during the 1800's the relic was used by the peasantry of the area
for the act of swearing upon with the consent of Mr. Knox. It was said to
possess the miraculous power of causing the face of anyone who did not tell the
truth, when swearing upon it, to turn round to the back of their head. When the
Parish Priest of Kilmore in Erris heard about this practice he had it removed
from the people who were using it. The priest brought it to Ardnaree Barracks
and the members of the Royal Irish Constabulary had it returned to the Knox
Family who were told in no uncertain terms to put an end to this practice.
Around this time, the superstition grew up that the Mias Tighearnáin brought
misfortune to those who trafficked in it, whether true or false, the Knox
family of Rappa endured a great deal of sadness and their former home is in
ruins today.At the time of Griffith's Valuation the Rappa estate included six
townlands in the parish of Bekan and one townland in parish of Aghamore, barony
of Costello and at least three townlands in each of the parishes of
Ardagh,Ballysakerry and Kilfian, barony of Tirawley, county Mayo. In 1876 the
Rappa Estate consisted of 6,855 acres in countyMayo and 724 acres in countyGalway

The private burial ground of the Knox Family ofRappa Castle which despite being a unique survivingfeature of the estate is unrecorded and is not protected in any way by local authorities. Copyright: ICHC

In “ A Guide to Irish Country House”, Rappa Castle located
near Crossmolina in Co. Mayo is described as an early or mid-eighteenth
century house consisting of a three storey centre block of four bays with two
storey wings on either side. The centre block and the side wings also had high
pitched gable ended roofs, with tall chimneys in the gable ends. The castle was
once home to the Crofton family with a castle being built on the site in the
fifteenth century by the Burke family. It eventually came in to the ownership
of a gentleman by the name of Francis Knox who was resident in the castle in
1798 and previously in 1786 the house was mentioned as being ‘the pleasant seat
of Mr. Knox’. Francis Knox was the third son of Francis Knox of Moyne Abbey and
Dorothy Annesley. Francis died in 1813 having married and produced six sons and
six daughters. He was succeeded by his eldest son Annesley Gore Knox who died
in 1839. He had married Harriett in 1793 who was the sister of Sir Ross Mahon.
Harriett and Annesley had eight sons and five daughters. The eldest
surviving son inherited Rappa, also named Annesley was succeeded by his son
Captain Annesley Arthur Knox.

In 1841, the Mias Tighearnáin was exhibited
by W.R. Wilde at the RoyalAcademy in Dublin having been lent to him by
Annesley Knox. William Robert Wills Wilde, was an Irish doctor who specialised
in afflictions of the eyes and ears and was also the father of the famous
literary figure, Oscar Wilde. He had a particular interest in the archaeology
and folklore of ancient Ireland which
explains his interest in the Mias. Again in 1846,
the Mias Tighearnáin was brought before the RoyalIrishAcademy by
W.R. Wilde and at this time two very accurate drawings of the artifact were
made and deposited in the pictorial catalogue of the museum of the academy. It
appears that Doctor Wilde was extremely interested in the piece and concerned
about its safety, as in 1851, the Mias Tighearnáin was
deposited in the Museum of the Royal Academy, at the insistence of
Dr. Wilde. However it was noted later that the relic was returned to Mr. Knox
of RappaCastle.

William Robert Wilde, the father ofOscar Wilde, whom took an interestin the Mias Thighernain.

In 1882, a visitor to the castle found
the Mias Tighearnáin in the procession of Captain Annesley
Arthur Knox. They give the following description of their visit and the
relic ‘The owner of RappaCastle, a landlord against whom nothing
in the way of blame is said, was assuredly of as much interest to us as the
relics which his house possessed. A tall, fine looking, kindly faced man, rosy
with health, courteous and pleasant, came into the room. We told our errand and
the Captain went for the Mias Tighearnáin and placed it in our hands. It is
evidently only part of the original dish, the socket where the upper part
rested being still there. It is very heavy, formed of three layers of thin
bronze bound at the edge with brass - evidently a later thought, and done for
preservation. There are three bands of silver across it, which show the remains
of rich figuring. There was originally a setting of three stones, one of which
still remains and looks as if it might be amber. It is as large as a soup
plate. Something is among the layers of metal which rattles when shaken. It is
one of the oldest relics in the country. Whoever made it had no mean skill in
the art of working metals. According to a certain Father Walsh it was used to
wash the saint's hands in at mass. This dish, after lying at the bottom of LoughConn for
a hundred years, come up to the surface and revealed itself. It has been used
as a revealer of secrets ever since it came in to the hands of the Knox family.
We requested afterwards to see the clock of Moyne Abbey, and were taken by the
courteous captain across the other rooms to the flagged kitchen, where the
clock ticked as it has done for 300 years - or since the abbey was dismantled,
how long before history hath not recorded. The case of some dark wood
beautifully carved. I thought it was bog oak, Captain Knox said mahogany, which
would make the case to be much younger than the clock. The Captain assured us
that it was the best time-keeper in the worked. It only requires winding once a
month, used to show the day of the month, but some meddler disarranged that
part of the machinery. The dial plate is of some white metal, brilliant and
silvery. Captain Knox said it was brass, but I have seen things look more
brazen that not so old.’

In 1897, Captain Knox died and his estate,
castle and contents passed to his nephew Ronald Annesley Knox who was only a
six year old child at the time. Captain Knox had a brother Ross, the father of
Ronald, but he was by passed in favour of his son. Captain Knox’s will
was probated in Dublin by
the executors of the will, Richard Francis Knox of Thornfield, Ballina and
Charles Knox Kirkwood of Bartra House, Killala, Co. Mayo. His estate was valued
at £4,342 3s 6d. In 1900 the estate was being administered in the Chancery
Division of the High Court. The Mias was now in the custody of the Accountant
General and it was noted that he 'had not, so far made an order for its
sale'. The importance of this relic was recognised at this time as Sir
Thomas Esmonde, wished for the Chief Secretary to ask the Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland if he
would make inquiry as to the possibility of procuring it for the NationalMuseum in Dublin. Captain Knox
left his estate to his nephew Ronald Knox on his attaining the age of 25 years.
In the intervening period Ronald's father, Ross Mahon Knox, had the use
of RappaCastle, plate , furniture, vehicles and
harness together with a yearly allowance of £300. Ross Mahon Knox had married
Violet Florence May Knox Gore in 1890 in Killala Cathedral, who was also a
cousin, her father originating from Broadlands, a Knox house located near
Ballina. Their son Ronald was born in 1891 and a daughter Una in
1895. Violet, Ross and their children now occupied RappaCastle after
the death of Captain Knox, but were visited with much misfortune. It appears
that Ross and Violet did not have a happy marriage and in 1903 Violet
left RappaCastle taking her two children with
her. It was said she returned to her native Cork due to the violent nature of her
husband. Ross initiated legal proceedings to have the children returned and was
successful. However Ross and Violet's daughter Una died a year later in 1904, in grandfathers house in Youghal, Cork aged only ten years and by 1907, Ross and Violet had separated for good. It is
recorded in the 1911 census that Violet was now living in Park House in Youghal
in Cork with
her father. In 1916, Ronald Knox came of age and was now in control of RappaCastle however he never enjoyed
good health and died in 1918 of TB. He was buried with his sister on the hill
near RappaCastle where many generations of
the family had been interred. His father, Ross, also succumbed to the same
disease as his son and died in 1920. Ironically it was the one person that was
banished from RappaCastle who would inadvertently come
to own it and determined its future. It appears that Ross and Violet had never
divorced and as a result RappaCastle, land and its contents including
the Mias Tighearnáin came into her ownership after the death of her estranged
husband. It appears that Violet intended to sell everything, in October 1921,
an advertisement appeared for the sale of the rabbits of the estate and for
further particulars, the manager of the castle was to be contacted. In 1923 the
timber around the demesne was sold which included a large quantity of ash,
beech, larch and scots pine, in total about 1,500 tress were on offer.
Permission was also given by Violet Knox to set up a temporary saw mill. In
December 1924, Violet put the contents of the castle up for sale and sold the
castle with its remaining land to the Land Commission. Bitterness existed in
the extended members of the Knox family, as Violet sold a number of items that
were in the Knox family for generations. She was classed as an ‘outsider’
despite the fact that she was a cousin of her husband and that her grandfather
would have originated from RappaCastle also.

Rappa Castle in ruins today after it was dismantled in the 1930'sCopyright: ICHC

In January 1925, Violet Knox, (Ross's widow), married
Thomas Dodd Lowther of Queen Ann’s Mansions Westminster London. It is obvious
that she took the Mias with her to England as
it later appeared for sale in London.
It
was said that the reason the sale occurred outside Ireland was that Violet
wanted to make it as difficult as possible for it to be purchased by the
Knox’s or the National Museum of Ireland. In December 1930, it was reported in
the press 'that an ancient alms dish which was brought to London by the last
of the Knox family' was to be sold at the Grafton Galleries. It was
said to have been sold for between £750 and £800 as accounts differ. In October
1934, Mrs. V.F.M. Knox Lowther of London and
formerly of Glasgow and late of
Castlerea and Rappa Castle, Co. Mayo, wife of Thomas Dodd Lowther died and left
a personal estate in Britain valued
at £11,992. RappaCastle fell in to disrepair after
1925 and by 1938 was dismantled and had its roof removed. The Mias had been
purchased by the Marquees of Bute and became part of his private collection
at MountStewart, Rothesay, Isle of Bute in Scotland until
in 1999, it was purchased by the National Museum of Ireland. The Mias did
return briefly to Mayo in 2004 when it was displayed in the Museum of Country Life
in Castlebar.

The Irish Country House Blog - The Houses Known by the Trees

My name is David Hicks and I am the author of 'Irish Country Houses - A Chronicle of Change' published in October 2012 and 'Irish Country Houses - Portraits & Painters' published in October 2014 , both published by Collins Press, Cork. This blog features unpublished articles and photographs assembled from my archive gathered over years of research. I am currently compiling my third book 'Irish Country Houses - Restoration & Redemption'.
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